Feed mechanism for lathes



UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOSEPH FLATHER, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

FEED MECHANISM FOR. LATHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,449, dated May 5,1885.

Application filed February 16, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FLATHER, of Nashua, in the county ofHillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Feed Mechanism for Engine-Lathes, which will, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fullydescribed, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

This invention has for its object an-improvement in the feed mechanismof engine-lathes, by which the cuttingtool is moved relatively to thearticle on which it is acting, either when turning the surface thereofor when cutting a screwthread thereon, and it will, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fully described and distinctlyclaimed.

In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation showing a portion of alathe-bed, the head-stock thereon mounted, and the left-hand portion ofthe feed-rod, the screw-cutting feedrod, and the devices by which theyare actuated. Figs. 2 and 3 are end views of the parts of the clutch bywhich the two parts of the feed-rod are coupled together.

In said views, A represents the left-hand portion of a lathe-bed. B isthe head-stock mounted thereon. U is the arbor,and D the cone-pulley onthe arbor. A gear, a, mounted on the arbor and meshing into gear 1),serves in the usual manner to rotate stud c, on which is mounted thesmall cone-pulley d, all said parts being old, common, and well known,and susceptible of the various well-known changes and modifications. Theusual cone-pulley e, to be actuated by a belt from cone-pulley d, ismounted on section f of the rod known as the feed-rod-that is, the rodthrough which the cutting-tool is moved parallel to the bed whenfinishing the surface of any piece being revolved in the lathe. Saidsection f of the feed-rod is journaled in bearing g, which may be eitherformed upon or secured to bed A, and said section is secured from linealdisplacement by gear m and pulley e, secured upon it on one side ofbearing g, and clutch h, secured upon it on the other side. A longersection, 1', of the feedrod is telescopically arranged to revolve freelyin section f, and may at will be interlocked therewith by means of itstoothed collar j, which is splined on said section 6 to insurecoincident rotation, and which slides freely to be interlocked withclutch-collar h on section f, and when so interlocked both sections ofthe rod revolve together. Said section 11 extends to and is combinedwith the feed devices arranged in the apron or curtain that depends fromthe carriage or slide on which the cutting-tool is mounted in thetool-post. The screw-cuttin g feed-rod k is also journaled in bearing g,and carries a pinion, I, interlocked therewith by a spline, but havingfree lineal adjustment thereon.

When finishing the cylindrical surface of any article, pinion Z isdisconnected from pinion in by sliding itupon rod 7; against bearing g,thereby leaving rod is idle, and clutch-collar j is interlocked with,collar h, thereby interlocking sections f 'i of the feed-rod; but whencutting screw-threads upon any article mounted in the latheclutch-collars h j are disconnected and pinions l on are enmeshed, asshown, when section 6 will remain idle, while rod is will be driventhrough section f and its pinion on.

When actuating rod 75 through section f for screw-cutting, as stated,said section will of course be driven through gears shown by dottedlines at n p, respectivelymounted on sectionf and stud 0; but when rodis idle and the feed-rod i is operative it will usually be driven by thebelt on cones (l a; but if a feed coarser or finer than can thereby beobtained is required, the same may be effected by selectingproperly-ditterentiated gears and mounting the same on f and c, andthereby driving rod 2', the cross-feed being also driven by either ofthese methods, as may be preferred, or as the coarseness of the cut mayrender necessary.

I claim as my invention--' 1. The combination of the divided feedrod f iwith means to interlock or liberate the same, and the screw-cuttingfeed-rod k, with gears adapted to be enmeshed and separated, and toimpart the rotation of section f to said rod k, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of divided feed rod f 'i, clutch-collars h j,respectively mounted thereon and adapted to be interlocked or separated,screw-cutting feed-rod 7c, and gears l m, respectively mounted thereonand adapted to be enmeshed or disconnected, substantially as specified.

3. The divided feed-rod formed with sec tion 43, telescoped or insertedin a longitudinal cavity insection f, said sections being respectivelyprovided with clutch devices adapted to interlock the same and securetheir coincident rotation, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a feed-rod formed in two sections with devices tointerlock or separate the same, and a screw-cutting feed-rod with gearsarranged thereon and upon the constantly-operative section of saiddivided feed-rod, and arranged to be enmeshed or separated at will,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a feed-rod constructed and arranged to be drivenatwill, either by a belt or. by gears, and, a screw-cutting feed-rod,combined and arrangedto be actuated by said feed-rod, substantially asspecified. a

6. The combination, with the two feed-rods, of gears respectivelymounted thereon and arranged to be enmeshed or disconnected, whereby onerod may at will be driven by the other or disconnected and remain idlewhile the other is operative, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the two feed-rods with means whereby one may atwill be driven through or by the other, the rod thus driving the otherbeing formed in two sections or lengths and provided with couplingdevices, whereby its sections may at will be secured together ordisconnected, substantially as specified.

Witnesses: JOSEPH FLATHER;

G. W. DAVIS,

A. MOKEAN.

